A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mirrors of the type used by people to facilitate performance of personal appearance related functions such as shaving, applying cosmetics and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable mirror which is transportable as a relatively thin, flat package, and easily assembleable by a user into a versatile free-standing mirror for placement on a table top, vanity cabinet or the like, the mirror including a mirror frame which holds a pair of mirror plates of different relative magnifications, the frame being joined by a ball and socket joint to a rotatable union to a support stand stanchion in a manner enabling either selected mirror plate to be adjusted over a wide range of elevations and viewing angles.
B. Description of Background Art
Some aspects of a person's appearance are best attended to by observing his or her image in a relatively large “wide angle” mirror, which has a flat reflective surface that provides a unity or “1×” magnification. Mirrors of this type include full length wall mirrors, dresser mirrors, and bathroom mirrors mounted on a wall or cabinet. On the other hand, certain personal grooming functions such as shaving, applying cosmetics and the like are generally more easily performed while viewing a larger image of one's face, which can be obtained by positioning the face closer to a flat, non-magnifying mirror. In some circumstances, however, it is not convenient to position one's face sufficiently close to an existing flat mirror to provide an image which is sufficiently large to enable a desired personal grooming task to be easily performed. In such situations, it would be desirable to have available a magnifying mirror, i.e., a mirror having a magnification factor greater than one. Since counter space available in locations such as bathrooms is often at a premium, it would also be desirable to have available a portable magnifying mirror which may be readily placed in a free-standing disposition on a horizontal surface, such as that of an existing table top or vanity top. Additionally, since different mirror magnifications are useful for performing different aspects of a person's grooming, it would be desirable to have a portable free-standing mirror, which had a range of different, selectable magnifications.
A wide variety of magnifying and non-magnifying mirrors are available for use in people's homes. However, since a person's vision generally degrades with age, there is an accompanying need for a small mirror of selectable magnification which can supplement existing larger mirrors to enable a person to see image details required to perform personal care functions. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/698,619 filed on Oct. 31, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,852, the present inventor disclosed a Dual Magnification Reversible Spot Mirror Releasably Attachable To Flat Surfaces. The mirror described therein includes two mirror plates of different magnification factors held back-to-back in a frame reversibly retainable in a frame holder pivotably supported by a mounting base releasably attachable by a suction cup to a flat surface such as a vertical surface of a larger mirror or the horizontal surface of a table top.
In the present applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/080,252, filed Mar. 16, 2005, for an Illuminated Dual Magnification Table Mirror/Magnifier, the applicant discloses a portable table mirror which includes a pair of back-to-back mirror plates of different relative magnifications held in a circular mirror frame that is rotatably mounted in a ring-shaped mirror frame support ring which contains a ring-shaped florescent lamp, and which is pivotably mounted to the upper end of a support stanchion, thus enabling the elevation angle and height of a selected mirror to be adjusted. The present invention was conceived of to provide a compact dual magnification table-top/vanity mirror which is transportable in a relatively thin package, quickly assembleable by a user, and adjustably orientable over a wide range of heights, elevation angles, and azimuth angles.